A former factory building in London has been transformed into a striking duplex apartment that seamlessly blends modernist and brutalist design influences, creating the perfect backdrop for a well-traveled collector's curated art and objects. The project, designed by Louise East of Studio Est, demonstrates how industrial architecture can be reimagined as sophisticated residential space while honoring its manufacturing heritage.
The apartment, located in a yellow brick former factory with distinctive metal-framed windows, presented unique challenges when East first encountered it. The space had been converted into what she describes as a "characterless 1980s/90s workspace" that had lost all of its original interior features during previous renovations. With no internal partitions, stairs, or defining architectural elements, the apartment was essentially a blank canvas requiring complete reimagining.
"It was pretty awful, just a characterless workspace," East recalls. "But it was a completely blank canvas with no internal partitions or even stairs." The designer's first priority was creating a functional layout that would accommodate three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and extensive storage within the relatively compact footprint while ensuring the space could properly showcase the owner's substantial art collection.
The client, a property professional who has collaborated with East on multiple projects, had spent years traveling the world and accumulating an impressive collection of modernist and brutalist pieces, including African ceremonial furniture and handcrafted objects. East approached the design challenge by treating the apartment as a carefully curated gallery space. "The emphasis was on my client's collections, but that didn't faze me," she explains. "I knew I could still elevate the whole project."
Natural light became a crucial element in the design strategy. East installed steel-framed Crittall windows as room dividers, creating visual separation while allowing light to flow throughout the apartment's interior spaces. This choice not only addressed practical lighting needs but also reinforced the building's industrial heritage, connecting the contemporary residential design to its factory origins.
The material palette reflects this industrial aesthetic through utilitarian touches including copper hardware in the bathrooms and kitchen areas. East explains that these elements serve "as another link to the factory backstory," creating cohesive design language that celebrates rather than conceals the building's manufacturing past. The walls feature richly-grained travertine paired with dark oak joinery, maintaining clean lines while adding textural interest.
Throughout the living spaces, East balanced the bold, masculine character of the existing collection with softer elements including curved seating and natural wool and linen textiles. "I wanted to balance the boldness of the pieces with softness," she notes. The designer sourced complementary pieces that enhance rather than compete with the client's collection, including a striking cast glass and metal coffee table that serves as what she calls "a key grounding piece."
Custom-made shelving systems provide simple yet sophisticated backdrops for displaying art and objects, ensuring each piece can be properly viewed from across the open-plan living areas. East also incorporated brutalist hand-carved stone lamps from her own archive, pieces that reflect her long-standing attraction to handcrafted objects. "I've always been drawn to handcrafted objects; the mark of the hand has been a thread running through my life, my work, and my own collections," she explains.
The project demonstrates East's philosophy of creating spaces that genuinely reflect their inhabitants' personalities and tastes rather than imposing predetermined aesthetic choices. By maintaining a restrained color and material palette, she allowed the client's carefully curated collection to take center stage while ensuring the apartment functions effectively as both living space and informal gallery.
The completed apartment successfully captures what East describes as the client's impeccable taste while providing a sophisticated urban retreat that honors both the building's industrial heritage and the owner's global collecting journey. As East concludes, "It's as though Studio Est has taken his character and wrapped it up with a ribbon in this space."
